Friday Night Lights: Don's Story
by Markade Mercer
Summary: A girl...a family...and a high school boy just trying to find happiness.
1. Chapter 1

After the Panthers lost their best player, everyone went home, hoping to forget their defeat that day. Don Billingsworth walked home, taking as much time as he needed. He did not want to face what was there, though he knew it would come sooner or later. As soon as he stepped in the door, his dad walked up to him. "Why can't you hold onto a football, huh?!" He screamed at his son. Don walked away. "Leave me alone." he said quietly. But Mr. Billingsworth persisted. "I want a f***ing answer! I want to know why you make damn fumbles every time you hold-or rather drop-a ball! Is there something wrong with you?" he shouted. "Godddamn it! Leave me alone!" Don cried, on the verge of tears. He went into his room and slammed the door, and fell onto his bed.

The next night, after a football practice, Don drove home. His heart was not as heavy as before. Tonight, things would be different. This girl he was seeing (He didn't want to call her a 'girlfriend' just yet), Jay, was coming over to his house tonight. He parked the car and got out, fingering his high school football championship ring nervously. Just then, her car pulled up. He took a deep breath and went to meet her. "Hi, Don!" she said enthusiastically. She gave him a warm hug, and for a moment with Jay, Don felt like he was ina place where someone really loved him, fumbles or not. He walked to his house, and they sat down on the couch. They fell into a passionate kiss, and were about to do someting more passionate, but then Don's father stormed into the room. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, as usual. He grabbed Don by the arm and pulled him to his feet. Jay sat on the couch, watching in stunned silence. "I saw another fumble today!" he said. He walked away and rustled through some drawers, and finally came back with a football and some tape. "Dad! Dad! What are you-" Don was cut off as his father shouted back at him. "Can you hold on to the ball now?" he asked, wrapping tight layers of duct tape, and binding the football to Don's hands. Jay tried to pull Don away, and for a long while all you would have been able to hear inside of that house was shouting. Finally, Jay got Don out of his father's clutches. She grabbed both of their coats, and pulled a still screaming Don outside. She dragged him into her car, and jumped in as well. Revving the motor, she sped away to a small park a few blocks away from Don's house. She shut the car off and turned toward Don. Taking his shaking hands in her warm ones, she started tenderly unwrapping the duct tape from his hands. Finally, the football and strands of duct tape fell to the floor of the car. "Come on." Jay said to Don gently. "put your coat on." she helped him into his coat. Don still sat rigid, shaking with hidden emotions. Jay pulled him out of the car and they made their way to a park bench near a lake. "Don, "Jay said, "I still love you. I'll never love anyone else." Don finally turned toward her. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth to say something, and turned away. Don fell to his knees and retched onto the grass. "Don!" Jay cried. She rubbed his back until he was done, but as she tried to help him back onto the bench, he shyed away from her hand. "Don't." he said, sitting back down on the bench. Jay sat down as well, and tentatively reached for his hand. She took it in hers, and to her astonishment, he burst into tears. "I can't help it that I fumble! Goddamn it all! Why do I have to be perfect! All I do is try! I don't-I can't-do this..." he broke off and statred sobbing again. Jay embraced him. "I can't do anything about your dad, Don-but-you don't have to do this alone." She raised her hands to wipe away his tears, and her eyes widened as he flinched, perhaps imagining his father. "I'm never going to hurt you, Don." Jay whispered. she wiped his tears away.


	2. Chapter 2

Jay drove Don home after a few hours of sitting at the park. As she turned into the Billingsley driveway, Don turned to her. "Thanks." he said. "For everything." Jay nodded and looked at him lovingly, and again Don felt the feeling of being home. He reluctantly spepped out of the car, rubbing his still-sore hands. He stepped into the house, and ran to his room as he heard his dad stomp across the floor.

The next practice, Don got better. He heard his dad cheering for him as he caught the ball, and looked to the bleachers. His dad smiled at him, but Don looked away sadly. His spirits were lifted as he heard another bout of cheering, this time from Jay. After practice was over, Jay mat Don outside the locker room. They kissed passionately. "I thought you had to work today!" he said happily. Jay shrugged. "I took off, to see you." Don kissed her again, but broke off as his dad walked over to him. "You did good, son." Mr. Billingsley said, rumpling Don's hair and hugging his son. Don, after a momentary hesitation, hugged his father back. Then, as his dad walked away, Don swept Jay into another kiss, as Boobie came out of the locker room. "Oooo, look what we got here! I think Don's got a good one, guys!" he shouted. This didn't seem to faze Don, however; he kept right on kissing Jay. Jay, however, gave Boobie the finger behind Don's back, which sent all of the players, even Mike, away laughing or smiling. Don pulled away from her. "Why are they laughing?" he asked. Jay, and the rest of the team who were spying on them burst into laughter again. Don gave Jay a quizzical look, but she just shook her head. The two lovebirds walked away hand in hand.

When Don got home, his dad was there to congratulate him. This time, instead of looking away from his father, Don smiled as best he could and hugged his dad for the second time that day. There was a small party at Don's house, mostly made up of family members. Don was, for the first time, happy with where he was. With his family. After the party was over, Don called up Boobie to see how he was doing. "Hey, man." Boobie answered the phone. "Hey, " Don answered. How are you? Coming back to play next game?" Boobie sighed. "Not sure, man. I'm going to get an MRI tomorrow. No tears or anything, but..." Don sighed. "Well, I'm wishing you luck." He hung up the phone. "Hey Don, come here!" his dad said. Don sighed again. Suddenly all he wanted to do was be alone. "I-I think I'm gonna go to bed, dad!" Don called back. Mr. Billingsley nodded, though Don couldn't see the motion. "Good! Get some sleep for the practice tomorrow!" he called. Don went to his room and fell onto his bed. He felt unexplainably lonely, and tears filled his eyes. He called Jay after a few hours, after he made sure his dad was asleep. "Jay? I need to talk to you." as soon as Jay answered the phone, and heard Don's tone of voice, she was suddenly wide awake. "I'll come over." she said.

Jay silently slipped into Don's room, where he lay on his bed, trying to control his emotions. Jay sat down next to him, and took his hand. "What's wrong?" she asked tenderly. Don shook his head. "I don't know. Dad threw me a party tonight. It was, you know, small, just family, but-but-I wish he could be like this, happy with me, all the time. Not just when I win a game, or don't fumble. All the time, like Boobie's uncle to him, or-I just feel so lonely all the time, even when he's happy with me. Like today." Jay lay next to him on his bed. "I don't know." she said in a whisper. "But _you_ know what I said. I'm always here for you." She had no idea how wrong she was...


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Don opened his eyes, looked at the clock, and jumped out of bed. He had overslept, and practice was in 10 minutes! As if on cue, Charles walked into Don's bedroom. "Get the HELL up!" he shouted at his son. "I'm up!" Don shouted back. In 5 minutes, Don was in the car, driving to the field, trying to ignore his dad's glares from the backseat. Finally he had enough. He parked in the parking lot, and turned around to face his father. "I overslept! Get of my case, like you never overslept once in your whole life!" His dad gave him another glare. "How do you know that I EVER overslept!?" he yelled back. And now we're late!" he said, looking at the clock on the dashboard. He practically kicked Don out of the car onto the field, where, as expected, he was screamed at by the coach for being late. He sighed and took his place on the field. Today was not his day. He searched the bleachers hopingly, but Jay was not there. After a half an hour of practice, a mock game started. Don was running, and the ball was coming to him...but so were the opposing players. He caught the ball, but then fumbled and dropped it. His dad jumped over the bleachers and got in his face, and screamed at him. "why con't you hold onto the god damn ball?" he shouted. Don turned away, his face red. He started to walk away, taking his helmet off. "Listen to me!" Charles screamed. He ran around in front of Don and punched him in the stomach. Since this wasn't a real game, there was no protection on. Don dropped to the ground, gasping for air. His teammates stood back, not wanting to be pummelled by "The Legend." Don, catching his breath, turned over onto his back, but his father was there. He kicked Don squarely in the ribs, knocking him to the ground. He didn't get up this time. Charles spat at his son and walked away. Don tried to get up now, but winced and almost cried out. Something made a sharp noise in his chest. Boobie helped Don up as the coach walked over to him. "Go home, son." the coach said, patting Don's shoulder. It was a rare show of sympathy from the coach, and Don took it with relief.

He walked off the field, turned to go into the locker room and ran headlong into a girl. Don stepped back, sucking in breath as a wave of pain hit him, and realized the girl was Jay. "Donnie!" she said, seeing the pained look on his face. "What happened?" Don stepped away from her, suddenly angry. "You said you's always be there for me." he whispered dangerously. "Donnie, I had an emergency at work, and-" Jay worked for a babysitting company. Don stepped away from her again. "You said you'd always be there for me!" he said, shouting now. "You lied! That's my life these days. I'm living a lie!" Don pushed past Jay, who was quietly sobbing, and stormed into the locker room despite the pain in his head and chest.


	4. Chapter 4

That night, Don went home, grabbed his stash of money, and walked the miles to Mike's house. Mike opened the door, surprised to see his teammate standing on the steps to his house. "Don, Jesus! Why are you here?" Don took a deep breath, and winced. His chest still hurt like nothing else. "I-can I stay with you for a while?" Don asked. Mike sighed. "But-" Don winced in pain again, and Mike rethought his answer. "I'll ask Mom." Mike said. "Come inside." Don gingerly sat down on the sofa, putting his suitcase down. He quietly listened as Mike subtly asked his mom if Don could stay over for a few nights. After a confirmation from his mom, Mike walked back into the living room. He nodded to Don. "Thanks." Don tried to say, but he had a sudden coughing fit. He put his hand to his mouth, and when he pulled it away he was surprised to see it flecked with blood. Mike saw, too. "Jesus, what did your dad do to you?" he asked. "I don't know." Don said hoarsely. "I think my rib might be broken. I had a fight with Jay, too. I yelled." Don put his head in his hands, suddenly recalling how thoughtless he had been to Jay. "Jay! Oh my God!" he said suddenly. "I have to call her!" Mike handed him the phone, and after a few rings Jays' answering machine clicked on. Don noticed Jay had changed the message. It used to say, "Hi! this is Jay, I'm not home right now, sing your song at the beep." The machine recording now read, "This is Jay. Leave a message, I can't pick up right now. And if this is Don, _f*** off_! I don't want to hear anything you say!" At this point it sounded like she was in tears. Don handed Mike the phone and said, "I'm going to her house." But as he got up, a great pain stabbed at his lung, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

Later on in the evening, Don was lying on a hospital bed, still unconscious. The football team anxiously figeted, standing up, sitting down, worried. Jay was outside the door, in tears. Mike was trying to comfort her. The only person who should have been there, however, was not. His dad would not come to the hospital to see his injured son. the whole football team knew this. They finally saw past the nickname "The Legend", to the man didn't like what they saw. When Don was brought in, the doctors examined him and finally diagnosed him with a cracked rib. A sharp piece of the rib had pierced his lung. The doctors said it was going to be painful, but that it wasn't serious and it would heal in time for the next game. By then, Mike and Boobie had called the rest of the team and Jay. They called Charles, too, but he wouldn't come to the phone.

Just then, Don opened his eyes. "Hey, guys." he called weakly to his fellow teammates. They turned around and, seeing him conscious, cheered and shouted. Mike went inside the room, too, leaving the weeping Jay outside. After a brief chat with Don, Mike left the room again. "He's awake." Mike said to Jay, patting her back sympathetically. "He wants to see you." Jay tried to compose herself, and walked into the bright hospital room. As soon as she came to Don's bedside , however, she burst into tears. "I should have been there, I'm a terrible girlfriend, I don't deserve someone like you." she moaned, tears running down her perfect cheeks. Don lay his hand on hers. "It's okay." He said to her. She shook her head. "But I said I'd always be there for you." she said. He raised a hand and wiped her tears away. "Hey, " he said softly. "You're here for me now. That's all that matters." Jay looked at him lovingly. "You really mean it?" she sniffed. He nodded, then winced slightly. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was watching this exchange. "Man, "Boobie whispered to the team. "I wish I had a girlfriend like that."

Don Billingsley, after graduating from high school and college, eventually married Jay. They had three kids, Josh, Maria, and Jule. Don still plays football, but now he coaches Jule and Maria's all girl football team. Jay is a doctor, though she also helps coach the football team.


End file.
